WIDER Advisory Group on International Economic Issues

(A research and training centre of the United Nations University

La restructuration économique en URSS et les relations économiques internationales

[fre] Les années de perestroïka ont tenté d'établir une stratégie fondamentalement nouvelle de développement socio-économique se traduisant par un centrage de l'économie sur des niveaux de vie supérieurs pour la population, une meilleure qualité de la production, l'introduction de relations de marché à la place de la gestion administrative précédente. Ces mesures devraient permettre au pays de s'ouvrir et de s'intégrer à l'économie mondiale. Parallèlement, les relations économiques extérieures auraient, dorénavant pour rôle principal d'améliorer progressivement l'efficacité et la qualité de l'économie grâce à une concurrence accrue et à l'introduction de nouvelles techniques et connaissances. Cette restructuration est une entreprise de long terme que bouleversera le mais qui est nécessaire pour un développement économique et social réussi. [eng] Fundamentally new strategy of socio economic development has been drawn up during the years of perestroïka : concentration of economy on higher living standards, better quality of production, introduction of market relations mechanism instead of the previous administrative system of management. These measures should make the Soviet Union more open and integrated to the word economy. In addition, the role of foreign economic relations would be from now on to improve the efficiency and quality of the economy through an increasing competition and the introduction of new technologies and know-how. This restructuring is a long term process which will drastically change the country but is necessary for a more successfull social and economic development.

On the modernization of public production in Russian Federation

The paper identifies a number of key areas of economic modernization - modernization of property, modernization of financial system, modernization of regional governance and modernization of social sphere. The problems that arise in these areas and their solutions are noted. Disclosure of modernization of the real sector of the economy is made. Mechanisms of technological renovation and restructuring, the sources of the rapid modernization of public production are defined. Modernization of property includes: mass privatization of state property, aimed at its commercial use and creation of favorable economic environment for small business development. Modernization of the financial system must follow the path of reducing the tax burden on business and increasing the role of banks (assets of the banks should not be less than 150% of GDP). Technological upgrade in the real sector will allow raising productivity by 2-3 times in the next 7-10 years, to halve energy intensity of GDP, to create material conditions for manufacturing of innovative products. The restructuring will help diversify the economic structure and exports, create competitive advantages for taking leading position in the field of aerospace engineering, production and export of electricity and electric machine manufacturing products, production of finished goods made from synthetic materials of forest products over time to become the world's leader. A prerequisite condition of rapid modernization are doubling investment rate on the basis of large-scale privatization, redemption of government bonds, formation of the Russian market funds of "long" money (funded pensions, insurance, mutual funds and development of banking system)

Changes in the Demographic Situation in the Russian Federation: Causes and Impact on the Socio-Economic Development of the Country

The study is devoted to the formation of a scientific approach to the study of the factors and causes of changes in the demographic situation in Russia and the return to depopulation, as well as its socio-economic consequences in order to develop a new state policy to ensure the stabilization and growth of the population in the new demographic conditions